Give
and Go
Talent transitions don’t have to be a bump
in the road for organizations. A knowledge
transfer process can help deliver a smooth
handoff and keep projects on track. We asked
practitioners: How do you ensure effective
knowledge transfer?
HAVE A CONVERSATION
When we transfer knowledge to co- workers, we do so with the intent of them understanding and utilizing that
knowledge. It’s a two-way communication. And
what makes a two-way communication effective? Feedback. This is the most important part of
knowledge transfer, because it’s how we ensure
whether the participants really understand what
we want them to know.”
—Lieh Liao, PMI-ACP, PMP, special assistant to the
chairman, CompuPack Technology Co. Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan
GET IT IN WRITING
In a previous position, I developed a tal- ent matrix that showcased the expertise of more than 100 team members. Each
row was dedicated to a team member, and the
columns listed areas of expertise, such as design,
construction and project management. To create
the matrix, I reviewed staff CVs to identify their
knowledge areas, verified the information and then
published the matrix for team use.
This has resulted in a wealth of knowledge kept
in a structured document accessible to the entire
company. It allows teams to identify resources of
specialized expertise not necessarily available within
each team separately and has facilitated knowledge
transfer between individuals and projects.”
—Sherif Hashem, PhD, PMP, program director, ASTAD
Project Management, Doha, Qatar
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
You must choose the knowledge transfer methods that work best for the demo- graphics in your organization. Understand the generational learning preferences of all
involved. In my experience, younger generations
prefer web seminars, online videos and interactive
materials, while older generations prefer formal
training classes with on-site instructors. Tailoring
your methods for different generations is about
changing how your workforce learns and proactively addressing the influences and differences
that can negatively impact training. This results in
an environment that fosters and enhances knowledge transfer.”
—Anil Gosine, global program manager, MG Strategy+,
Detroit, Michigan, USA
CROSS BORDERS
A project I worked on for an aerospace company involved transferring knowledge from an external Russian company to an
internal team that was taking over the project. The
process took nearly a year, and success was largely
due to building a common language and common
understanding throughout the project.
The time zone and language barriers were our
top challenges. We overcame them by having key
team members from Russia come onshore for a
month at a time to work directly with the internal team. While there, the teams participated in
demos and observed each other working.”
—Annette Suh, project manager, Nike, Beaverton,
Oregon, USA
Voi c e s PROJECT TOOLKIT
How do you
transfer
knowledge
effectively?
Share your tips
on the PMI
Project, Program
and Portfolio
Management
LinkedIn Group.